Transmigrated Into the Body of a Sickly Villain's Kitten - Chapter 21

He Qingye’s method of dealing with those youngsters was quite straightforward. They were quick to flee, but she was even faster.

How could ordinary people compare to the speed of a yao? Thus, the video trending on social media showed He Qingye frantically chasing after the five youngsters while shouting, “Stop running! I saw the video and came to help since I was nearby! Are you all right?”

“We’re fine! Can you just stop following us?”

“Don’t be scared, I’m not a bad person. I brought an off-road vehicle with a first-aid kit. If you’re injured, you can come down the mountain with me, and I can provide emergency care!”

The video’s comments were filled with confusion:

[This is so weird, what’s actually going on with them?]

[I saw the video they posted, wasn’t there a guy and a girl screaming?]

[Why are they running? This is ridiculous.]

The youngsters kept circling around the foot of the mountain, not daring to go up because the boss had warned them that climbing the mountain could be life-threatening.

These days, making money often requires taking risks, but they weren’t willing to gamble with their lives.

Eventually, they couldn’t run anymore. The leader of the group collapsed on the ground, panting heavily, and when he saw He Qingye approaching, he snapped, “Are you crazy? Chasing us all this way, are you in such a hurry to be reborn?”

He Qingye’s voice sounded slightly hurt: “I was just worried something might have happened to you. Why did you run?”

A girl nearby, clutching her chest and gasping for air, retorted, “How were we supposed to know who you are? We were scared, okay?”

He Qingye fought back a laugh, suppressing the twitch at the corner of her mouth as she put on a concerned expression. “I saw the video you posted and thought something had happened to you. I rushed over hoping I could help…”

“We’re just here to film a scene for a video. Did you think everything was real? We’re not stupid enough to risk our lives, okay?”

“Ah?” He Qingye looked shocked and disbelieving. “Then… did I disturb you…?”

Her innocent expression seemed both pitiful and endearing. In her human form, He Qingye appeared to be a gentle, pretty young woman in her twenties. The team leader didn’t suspect anything and explained, “Listen, miss, we made those videos to gain popularity and traffic on the platform. The rescue team coming later is in on it with us. Don’t worry, we’re all fine.”

Comments flooded in:

[Wow, what kind of monsters are these, exploiting our sympathy?]

[I’m disgusted. I used to genuinely follow Team C97’s adventure videos, and it turns out they’re all fake?]

[Hah, isn’t this misusing public resources? Faking emergencies to worry people, and even the rescue team is in on it? This needs to be investigated, see if there’s any kickback involved.]

[Isn’t this more entertaining than celebrity gossip?]

The video ended with He Qingye’s monologue as she descended the mountain: “I originally came because a friend called, worried that something might have happened and they needed help. Turns out it was all an act. Well, as long as everyone’s safe.”

[Aww, the young lady is both beautiful and kind-hearted!]

[Thankfully the young lady went to check it out immediately, otherwise how many people would have been fooled by these shameless jerks for over half a month?]

[That young lady’s stamina is seriously impressive, she ran those guys into the ground, lololol.]

[Those C97 folks were just putting on a show anyway. They’re not real explorers, so of course their stamina would be lacking.]

After speeding up the recorded video and sending it to Wen Shuiyi, He Qingye transformed her appearance once again.

Having lived for so many years, with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gradually fading, it was impossible for her face to remain as fair and beautiful as a young girl’s.

He Qingye drove the off-road vehicle to a remote, uninhabited area. Glancing in the rearview mirror, she saw a middle-aged woman in her thirties or forties step out of the car and transform into a vine bamboo, slowly making her way to another foothill of Wuqi Mountain.

The members of the C97 adventure team were still acting out their roles. The rescue team that had arrived were close friends with the C97 leader, and they had also filmed some short videos along the way.

Together, they rehearsed at the foot of the mountain for nearly two hours, only leaving when it grew dark.

The team leader took out his phone to continue filming: “Fortunately, we received help from the local rescue team. Wuqi Mountain is truly a dangerous place, but the scenery here is still quite beautiful. However, if you’re not fully prepared, you definitely shouldn’t venture here lightly.”

He even pulled the camera back a bit to ensure all the adventure team members were in the frame.

Once everything was over, everyone in the car breathed a sigh of relief.

“Finally finished filming. Hey, Zhao Chang, where did you find a job like this? Just filming a few videos and earning so much money, it almost makes me want to switch careers.”

“You think money is that easy to make? Today, we even ran into a young girl who saw our videos and came to ask if we needed help. Luckily, she was kind and easy to brush off, or it would’ve been over for us.”

“And you have the nerve to say that? The moment you saw a pretty girl, you couldn’t move. I’ve never seen you act so friendly toward anyone before.”

Recalling the beautiful girl he had seen that afternoon, Zhao Chang scratched his head sheepishly. “I have to admit, she’s totally my type.”

With the act completely over, there was no need for them to keep wearing their outdoor gear. After changing their clothes, they took out their phones, ready to check the “results.”

“The traffic today must be huge. The ads we placed below are definitely… Huh? Why do I need to log in again?”

The person managing the C97 account was a girl. She tried several times but couldn’t log in.

Zhao Chang opened his personal account and found numerous private messages cursing him out. His hand trembled slightly as he realized the C97 account had been banned.

On WeChat, the client who had hired them sent a message saying he would have to bear all the consequences himself, the payment had already been settled, and the rest was none of his concern.

“It’s over… it’s over…”

Another guy nearby also sensed something was wrong. “Chang, we’re… we’re trending on Weibo.”

…

He Qingye lingered for a long time near the barrier she had encountered before at the foot of the mountain. She wanted to ascend but feared triggering the barrier. After walking a short distance, she felt as though she had been circling the same spot.

It was an illusion array.

Just then, a voice came from the mountain: “The barrier has been lifted. You may ascend directly.”

“Understood.”

The surrounding illusion gradually faded away. He Qingye continued up the mountain and was surprised to find that the barriers and formations set up by the cultivation sects had also vanished.

Though her mind was filled with doubts, she did not pause, climbing the mountain in one go.

When she saw the well-maintained ancient mansion at the summit, He Qingye suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. She had always assumed the Sect Master had been living a harsh life on the mountain, but seeing it for herself dispelled those worries.

This was the first time in many years that Liang Zhuo had seen a guest in the ancient mansion. He led He Qingye into the rarely used main hall.

Shi Yao sat in the master’s seat, while a small white cat crouched on a nearby square table, licking its paws.

Another person who hadn’t appeared in the original book.

Fu Rou had practically given up resisting by now. She was completely unable to make sense of the plot and had decided to clear her mind and simply be a cat.

In the past, He Qingye would always bow respectfully upon seeing Shi Yao. But this time, the first thing she noticed upon entering the main hall was not Shi Yao, but the beautiful little white cat beside her.

The cat paid her no mind, diligently washing its face with its paws in preparation for a nap.

Suddenly, with a thump, He Qingye knelt on the ground and bowed deeply to the cat. “My… my Lord, Ye’er has finally found you.”

Fu Rou: “???”

The cat stopped licking its paws and even took a couple of steps back, clearly startled.

Shi Yao glanced sideways at He Qingye kneeling on the floor, then reached out to stroke the cat’s back soothingly. She said to He Qingye, “Your Lord has returned, so it’s understandable that I no longer wish to manage the affairs of the demon realm, isn’t it?”

Fu Rou: “???”

Just how fast was this world’s plot progressing?

She truly couldn’t keep up anymore, wuwuwuwu.

He Qingye’s actions also left Liang Zhuo, standing nearby, utterly stunned.

What in the world was going on?

Fu Rou nestled back into Shi Yao’s arms seeking comfort. Shi Yao explained the current situation to He Qingye, who nearly crushed the teacup Liang Zhuo handed her.

“Those scum from the cultivation world… how dare they harm our Lord like this? Do they truly think the demon race is dead?”

“I advise the demon race not to get involved. I’ve already settled you all properly, just continue living your lives peacefully. The cultivation world doesn’t know her true identity yet, so don’t act rashly.”

He Qingye fell silent for a long moment. She could tell that Shi Yao was likely her Lord’s intimate partner, so her words carried weight. Moreover, Shi Yao had done so much for the demon race, she had already gone above and beyond.

“Then… will our Lord ever return to her original form?”

Shi Yao glanced down at the dazed-looking little cat. “That depends on her. But I suspect it might not happen. I advise you not to get your hopes up.”

He Qingye: “…”

The Lord she had searched for, for nearly a thousand years had turned into a speechless, seemingly foolish yet beautiful little cat.

Was this the epitome of a “dumb beauty”?

Still, He Qingye felt deeply disillusioned.

She needed time to sort through this complicated situation.

“What brought you here today?”

He Qingye set down the teacup in her hand and recounted everything that had happened that day to Shi Yao, adding, “Honored Master, I have already instructed our clansmen to refrain from sending you trivial and unpleasant family gossip in the future. They originally meant to keep you from feeling lonely on the mountain, but they never expected it would trouble you instead. They won’t do it again, so I beg you, please do not abandon us.”

Shi Yao admitted that half the reason she wanted to quit was the annoying emails from the demon clan. Guan Jin sorted the messages quickly, but as the one reading them, she found it unbearable, so much so that she simply decided to stop working.

Now, with Youyou in such a state, there was no way she could lead the demon clan again. Since He Qingye had promised that those tedious messages would stop, Shi Yao figured it wouldn’t hurt to continue as the nominal ruler of the demon realm.

Seeing Shi Yao finally relent, He Qingye breathed a sigh of relief.

“You handled this matter swiftly and commendably. It seems the demons she raised back then are far from useless. Soon, the cultivation world will arrive at Wuqi Mountain. I will find a way to deal with them all at once. Do not make any moves yourselves, lest you alert them. Understood?”

He Qingye looked concerned. “Honored Master, are you sure you don’t need our help?”

Everyone knew how ruthless the cultivation world could be in achieving their goals, and He Qingye feared Shi Yao might suffer because of it.

“Taking care of yourselves is the best way to ease my and her burdens. I have personal scores to settle with the cultivation world, but I don’t wish to drag the demon clan into it. You were always precious to her, so living well is what she would have wanted most.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Before descending the mountain, He Qingye cast a deep glance at Fu Rou.

Her idolizing illusions had shattered completely, and she knew she would need time to rebuild her mental fortitude.

At the same time, she had to work with the demon clan to protect Wuqi Mountain and keep the humans from interfering.

Fu Rou was carried back to her toy room by Shi Yao, where she frantically scratched her cat scratching post to distract herself.

Her mind was already in chaos, and after hearing all of He Qingye’s inner thoughts, her entire worldview felt like it was being reconstructed.

“Meow!”

Why is being a kitten so exhausting?!?!

Seeing Fu Rou so distressed, Shi Yao couldn’t help but smile with a hint of jealousy. “My dear, I finally understand what you meant by those words before. You really are quite the charmer.”